Monday: Books in the Mail

Some of you may have noticed (probably not) that I didn't do my Monday books post last Monday. That is because it was Thanksgiving here and I was too busy (lazy) to make time for the post. So this week's post includes 2 weeks' worth of book arrival, but alas, it is only a few books even combined. This is good though, as my reading has slowed down considerably with our visitor here and other life things happening as well.

Now the books:

Two weeks ago I received two review books:

Not long before her fiftieth birthday, Mackenzie Phillips walked into Los Angeles International Airport. She was on her way to a reunion for One Day at a Time, the hugely popular 70s sitcom on which she once starred as the lovable rebel Julie Cooper. Within minutes of entering the security checkpoint, Mackenzie was in handcuffs, arrested for possession of cocaine and heroin.

Born into rock and roll royalty, flying in Learjets to the Virgin Islands at five, making pot brownies with her father's friends at eleven, Mackenzie grew up in an all-access kingdom of hippie freedom and heroin cool. It was a kingdom over which her father, the legendary John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, presided, often in absentia, as a spellbinding, visionary phantom.

When Mackenzie was a teenager, Hollywood and the world took notice of the charming, talented, precocious child actor after her star-making turn in American Graffiti. As a young woman she joinedthe nonstop party in the hedonistic pleasure dome her father created for himself and his fellow revelers, and a rapt TV audience watched as Julie Cooper wasted away before their eyes. By the time Mackenzie discovered how deep and dark her father's trip was going, it was too late. And as an adult, she has paid dearly for a lifetime of excess, working tirelessly to reconcile a wonderful, terrible past in which she succumbed to the power of addiction and the pull of her magnetic father.

As her astounding, outrageous, and often tender life story unfolds, the actor-musician-mother shares her lifelong battle with personal demons and near-fatal addictions. She overcomes seemingly impossible obstacles again and again and journeys toward redemption and peace. By exposing the shadows and secrets of the past to the light of day, the star who turned up High on Arrival has finally come back down to earth -- to stay.

An orphan faces an evil magician in this literary fantasy for readers of all ages that probes the depths of good and evil.

When Zac Sparks's mother dies, he's sent to live in Five Corners with his cruel old Aunties. It isn't long before Zac knows something strange is going on. Five Corners is populated with weird characters – a midget butler, a girl who doesn't speak, a blind balloon seller, a mysterious singer, and the Aunties' father, Dada. Zac's first encounter with Dada is so terrifying he faints dead away.

The one bright spot is Sky Porter, a friendly soul who encourages Zac and shows him kindness. But Sky isn't what he seems either, and when Zac learns Sky's amazing secret, he sees that this wonderful man may have a very dark side as well. Discovering that Dada is an evil magician who has found a way to live forever, Zac knows many lives are at stake, including his own.

Last week I received one book which I won from the author, who I ended up having a couple of emails with and she is a wonderful lady. I'm really looking forward to reading this book, the first in a family saga series.

"Melinda and the Wild West," is a Historical Fiction love story filled with intrigue, adventure, and romance. This story blends fascinating characters with Bear Lake history, and is based on several true experiences.

The time period is 1896. Melinda is from Boston and has come to Idaho's Bear Lake Valley. The idea of going to the Wild West appeals to her. She wants to do some good in someone's life and maybe she could do it in the West by teaching school. Intertwining fact and fiction, Melinda is confronted by many obstacles such as a bank robbery by the notorious outlaw Butch Cassidy, a rebellious student, an irritable grizzly bear, a blinding blizzard, Stinging Nettle, and the most stubborn rancher she has ever met.

This book is not only full of adventure, but has the tenderness of romance. A rugged rancher and a determined schoolteacher from the east tend to butt heads and clash with each encounter, but at the same time there seems to be an underlying interest in one another. Why Gilbert is guarding his heart is a mystery to Melinda. In this story, Melinda is desperately trying to help a rebellious student through acceptance and love, and at the same time, she is trying to understand her own heart.


Getting down to stats that makes 2 review copies in over the last 2 weeks and I've read 2 review books in that time, meaning my to-be-reviewed pile has not increased or decreased. Nothing like consistency!